


waning gibbous

by hoxiel (orca_mandaeru)



Series: skz ot8 pack [1]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Full Shift Werewolves, Han Jisung | Han-centric, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Mpreg, Insecurity, M/M, Magic, Mythology - Freeform, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Pack Dynamics, Pack Politics, Polyamorous Pack, Polyamory, Wilderness Survival, i.e hunting of animals for food, mention of past child neglect/abandonment, nature gods, theyre actual wolves in the wild and everything that comes with that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:54:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28682130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orca_mandaeru/pseuds/hoxiel
Summary: Out in the frozen wilderness, strength comes in numbers. If ever Jisung finds himself a little lost, his pack- and life-mates will always be there to help him.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Han Jisung | Han, Han Jisung | Han/Everyone, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Lee Minho | Lee Know, Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, OT8 - Relationship
Series: skz ot8 pack [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2102301
Comments: 16
Kudos: 141





	waning gibbous

**Author's Note:**

> finally i have written my true ideal a/b/o au!! hope you like it too~

The wind of midwinter's threat shows mercy to none, least of all bare human skin. All around the stone clearing, hands are rubbed and wolves subconsciously huddle together for a scrap of warmth. To shift into wolf form would be to give in, to expose yourself as a weakling in the force of Nature's inherent challenges. Up here, on one of the ancient slabs of rock jutting out over the cracked and red-stained ground of the clearing, it's even colder. 

Jisung feels none of it despite the pinpricks of flesh raised along his arms, eyes and mind sharp as he watches, always watches, the stone outcrop on the opposite side. A circle has formed on the broadest part of the jut, a ring of the southernly pack's members bowing low to the ground in a sign of submission to their newly ascended leader. 

He's witnessed one of these ceremonies before, when he was just a pup. Then, it was an occasion charged with joy for his own pack, the new carrying on the old, an older omega taking the position beloved and respected by all. Now, that very same omega is lying prone on the cold stone in front of her new leader, and all Jisung can feel is the tension in the air and the contained stillness of Chan standing by his side. They're on the opposite side of the clearing this time, outsiders, potential enemies. 

The ceremony is involved, with various important members of the pack venturing up the stone to pledge their loyalty, and just as it had years before, all the pomp comes close to boring Jisung to tears. When they chose Chan as their leader, it was such an inevitability that a fuss would feel out of place. Changbin slapped Chan on the back, Minho challenged him to a fight, and that was that. If any of them tried to kneel at his feet and expound paper-thin pledges of loyalty he'd probably become bright red and try to run away, the wonderful fool of an alpha. 

Jisung glances to his left to check up on Jeongin. Normally, it would be Felix or Minho on Chan's other side, but it's been a good six months since Jeongin was claimed as a child of Sun and had naturally fallen into Chan's footsteps, now finally getting the opportunity to join him in his duties and take his place on the rock outcrop at his first monthly convening. It's been adorable watching Chan get so excited having a younger alpha in the pack who's actually interested in learning about leadership duties, and they've been even more inseparable than before. He's shivering, though, clearly trying his best to suppress any reaction to the bitter chill. Without breaking his cross-legged sitting position, Jisung reaches behind Chan's legs in between them and brushes against Jeongin's arm, pressing a palm against him for some bit of warmth and comfort. The young alpha glances at him and smiles, relaxing a little bit. 

Chan shifts a little bit and Jisung pulls his arm back, maintaining his posture and focusing back on what's going on. It looks like the boring parts of the ceremony are finishing up, the last of the regular pack members descending down to settle in their place at the foot of the rock, below the more important members. There's no one at the base of theirs. Their whole pack wouldn't even match half the amount just at the top of the others' platform. 

As another gust of frost-laden wind creates a soft howl through the clearing, the ceremony finally finishes up. The new leader stands, turns to face them, head held high and showing off the smear of blood on his forehead. Jisung blinks, squinting across the distance at the young alpha's face. He swears he knows him, and though he did live in the other pack for close to a decade, that couldn't be said for most of the members. Oh. No wonder Chan has been tenser than usual. 

The new leader of the largest pack of the northern territories was one of those alphas whose names Jisung didn't even bother remembering, a bottom-feeder ready and willing to tear down anyone weaker to step on for a little bit of power. One of the many who tries their damndest to run Chan and the rest of them out of the pack, only to be slighted when they left out of their own volition. No one like that should ever acquire an actual position of power. 

The tension in the air sticks there even as the mundanities of monthly meetings commence, reports exchanged on any unusual weather patterns, updates on prey migration cycles, notable additions to the packs. Jisung admits he does have an unfortunate habit of tuning most of this out considering just how many meetings just like this he's sat through with nothing outstanding happening; he doesn't envy Chan at all for his position. A change in tone still makes his ears perk up, paying close attention again at the hint of exasperation in his leader's voice. 

“We settled this in full with the previous leader, Taesong.”

“What does that have to do with me? She's not the leader now, I am, if you hadn't noticed.” The new pack leader continues before Jisung even has the opportunity to formulate the perfect potential snide remark in his head. “There's no reason a pack as small as yours should hold those lands. It's ridiculous.” 

Chan's voice is still even, but it's more than clear to his mates that he's far more on edge than usual. Jisung knows that he must have not known that this upstart was the one inheriting the new leader position, or he would have been more ready, told him at least. “Your pack may be bigger, but you hold the lands from here all the way to the lakes to the south. That's at least triple the area of our territory, and in a more prey-rich region as well, and there's been no overflow of pups. Besides, I know you've been pushing for control of the forests to the west. What could you possibly want with our territory?” 

Jisung fidgets, words boiling up and over inside of him. “In case you forgot, you're the one who convinced your pack to leave in the first place. Having second thoughts?” He speaks low, but the acoustics of the clearing allow any on one of the stone outcrops to speak and be heard clearly by all. 

There's a beat of silence, the gaze of the new pack leader burning into his skin. Chan tenses next to him, clearly picking up on something with those sun-senses of his. Taesong huffs incredulously before speaking again, staring right at Jisung this time. “What's this? Chan, I knew you were lenient, but... first a prudish omega, then a cowardly alpha, and now this? An unclaimed runt mouthing off to a leader? You're more than undeserving to live on our ancestral land, you disrespect the Earth you tread on, the Sun you hunt under, and the Moon you sleep under.” 

Jisung shoots to his feet, can feel Jeongin doing the same on the opposite side. Chan is growling low in his throat, a quiet, dangerous warning sound, and he doesn't have to look to see that his eyes have taken on a golden glow. Jisung grabs his wrist, squeezing it. “Sorry, Channie. I started this, I'll take care of it.” He can tell Chan wants to argue but he keeps his mouth shut. 

A hush has come across the whole clearing, and as Jisung observes from a standing position, he takes note of the wolves around the base of the opposite rock shifting uncomfortably. He wonders how many of them hold the opinions of their leader and always have. He wouldn't be surprised if it was most of them, but even if that were true, there's a certain shock to the obvious challenge. It's been scores of moon cycles since there was tension like this at this place, not since there were four major packs in this area renowned for their constant warring and bloodshed. Seems this new leader was a stickler for tradition. 

Jisung steps forward, holding his head high, acutely aware of the unwavering plain brown of his eyes. “You prepared to back up that challenge?” 

There's a collective intake around the clearing. It obviously was a challenge, and letting it lie would only open them up for more disrespect. The other leader was the one that initiated it, but the privilege of a bout with the leader of a pack would only be given in extremely serious situations. That doesn't mean they aren't going to settle this in the old way. The energy around the ring has shifted, from apprehension to nervous anticipation as wolves shift and look to their leader, wondering which of them will be chosen to defend their pride. 

Behind their backs, Chan grabs Jisung's hand, squeezes it tight in thanks and encouragement without turning to look at him. Jisung returns it, reassuring, and then one wolf steps out in front of the rest. He doesn't recognize him, but the brown and green mottled through the roots of his hair mark him well enough as a child of Earth, a beta. His soon-to-be opponent shifts into wolf form, becoming even larger, deep brown fur covering dense muscles. 

Jisung has no mark, no claim on his brow as he steps away from his pack and life-mates' sides, leaning over and shifting seamlessly before his paws hit the ground. It's easy enough like this to bound down the rocks, shaking out his shoulders as he pads onto the cold ground where this has happened hundreds of times before. Any blood or residue should have washed off years ago with the rain and snow, but the dark splash in the middle of the clearing remains, a testament to the days before the gods, when any dispute or slight disagreement was settled through unfettered bloodshed and death. 

The spotlight is on Jisung now, more than it ever has before. He's not surprised that Taesong never noticed him before, he's very good at being invisible. And there's no dismissing the sight of all the unclaimed wolves of the other pack huddling together at the very fringe of the group, eyes carefully downturned, skipped over just like he was. 

Tuning out all distractions, Jisung keeps his gaze steady as he walks towards the center of the circle, his opponent doing the same. Closer, he can feel their difference in size and weight, his ears barely coming up to the others' shouders. All the pressure is on him, but he's not afraid at all as they make eye contact before leaning down to touch noses to the dirt, a simple sign of honor before they begin. He doesn't know what he's feeling, honestly, but that's something to work out later. 

A flash of movement registers in his vision with just enough time for him to spring back, ivory teeth closing around where his neck just was. Jisung dances backwards on light paws, ears pinned back to his head. Surprise attack failed, his opponent jumps back as well, their eyes glued to each other as they circle around the dirt ring slowly. He knows the other definitely underestimates him, so he's prepared when the next attack comes, a charge at him clearly meant to knock him over. 

An unbalanced wolf is a dead wolf, and Jisung knows that more than anyone else. He feints to the left and switches to the right just as the other turns, leaving the beta skidding to a halt. Jisung sees his opening and dives in, teeth closing around his hind leg just hard enough to grip but not draw blood, twisting his head in a calculated, sharp move that yanks all support away. The beta's shoulder hits the ground hard with a yelp. 

In an instant Jisung is coming in from the side rather than the top like most wolves would, sinking his teeth into the ruff of fur at the back of his neck before the other can gather his bearings at all. There's one, two attempts at bucking him off, but Jisung knows how to use what weight he has, anchoring himself on the frozen ground as he shakes his jaws as a warning. He growls for a long moment when the wolf under him still tenses and struggles, biting down harder until the beta finally gives up and goes limp. Jisung gives him one last reminder of a shake and steps away, making brief daring eye contact with the other pack's fuming leader before he raises his head to howl his victory, short and resounding. 

He turns his back without a second glance, trotting happily back up to his place by Chan's side. His leader briefly scratches behind his ears before turning his attention back to the other pack. The normal satisfaction that runs through him after winning a fight isn't quite there, but it's still nice to see the beta's despondent posture at being beaten by someone like him; the leader's positively stormy expression. 

“Maybe instead of pressing me for my pack's lands, you should be focusing on training your wolves better. I have nothing to prove to you. You obviously don't respect us or this meeting. We're leaving.” Chan turns his back and shifts, bounding down the rock showing no intentions of slowing down or turning around. Jisung shares a wide-eyed glance with Jeongin at the boldness before the other shifts as well, both of them racing to catch up. 

He reaches up to nose at Chan's shoulder, some of the annoyance in the larger wolf's eyes dissipating as he lightly shoves him back. The wind is biting even colder outside of the hollow of rocks, preventing them from taking too much comfort in each other's scent, but that can wait for when they get home. That's something all of them share without saying it out loud, the longing for home and the rest of their mates any time they're away for too long. 

They're like one mind and one body as they embark on the journey back to the center of their territory, treading out long-familiar paths and obstacles under their feet. Something so simple, yet Jisung will never get tired of it, the impact of ground rushing under his paws and wind sifting through his fur as he runs with no restraints alongside the ones he loves. 

Soon enough, home base comes into view, marked by the swell of a large hill above the landscape. To unknowing eyes it would seem no different than any of the others dotting the countryside, but it's second nature for the three wolves to run headfirst into a cluster of soft bushes near the base of a large tree, pushing through and emerging a few feet later in the inside of the hollowed-out hill. Sunlight streams in from the caved-in hole at the top of the enclosure, reflected in the circle of fallen snow in the center of the large clearing. 

The air is still and warm and smells like home, the three wolves shifting into human form a few feet in. “So, was that the start of a pack rivalry or something? We can't just let that lie, right?” Jeongin asks Chan, a little too eager at the potential threat. 

“Not quite. See, I've been communicating with their former leader. In a pack that big the one leader can't be the only one with power.” Chan pauses, turning to Jisung. “Hey, Sung. Can you go check up on the others? I can tell not everyone's here.” Jisung nods, opening his mouth to respond, but before he can Chan is shooting him a brief smile and resuming his conversation with Jeongin, both of them heading towards the large cabin nestled in the corner of the clearing. 

Jisung blinks after them, the cold a little more pronounced without them by his side. He didn't know that Chan was in correspondence with the other pack. He bites his lip and turns away, ignoring the slight sting of the bruise he can feel forming on his arm from the tussle earlier as he follows the scent of his other mates. He's not surprised to find himself weaving his way over to the area that takes up the biggest portion of the clearing situated under the gap in the top of the hill, picking his way through the neatly dug maze of rows, being extra careful not to step on any of the myriad plants fighting their way up through the soil. 

Seungmin and Felix both look up as he nears, and Jisung's heart pounds in his chest like the first day they met all over again. Felix always looks in his most natural state like this, loose dirt sticking to his simple leather clothes and greenery surrounding him to match the colors twining through the roots of his hair, a true child of Earth with mortar and pestle in hand and steady smile lighting up his face. Seungmin is leaning against his side, little clay pots lined up in front of him, some with cork stoppers and some without. He takes in Jisung's slight dishevelment and raises an eyebrow. “How'd it go?” 

Felix tilts his head up and Jisung bends down to give him a quick kiss, both of them getting distracted for a good few moments, like always. He finally manages to pull away and answer, settling down cross-legged next to them. “It was something. Do you remember that group of alphas that used to mess with us when we were still with the pack?” 

Seungmin rolls his eyes, pouring a bit of the liquid in one of the containers into Felix's mortar, causing something to fizzle in the bottom. “Oh, do I. Why?” 

Excited, Jisung says, “Well, one of them-”

“Woah! Felix exclaims, tapping the bottom of his pestle against the bottom where the liquid in the bottom is bubbling up.

“Too much rosemary?” Seungmin asks. 

Felix squints at the concoction, placing one hand over it and the green streaks laced through his hair glowing dully. “Probably. We've got some extra basil, right? What were you saying, Jisung?” 

Jisung pauses for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “When we got there, there was...” He watches what Seungmin is doing for a moment, fishing through the organized bundles of herbs arranged around him, knowing exactly where to go to give over to Felix's Earthen intuition. Jisung's helped him before, but he doesn't have the nose of an alpha or the instincts of a beta, making it a little bit difficult to distinguish all the delicate details needed to create the near-magical medicines and tonics Felix makes. They're so focused on their work, and Jisung tries to gather his thoughts to start again when his senses perk up. 

Someone else has entered the camp, three by the sound of it, familiar puzzle pieces of scents settling into his heart. “Hey, sounds like the others are here.” 

Felix looks up at him, shooting him an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Catch me up later, Sung?” 

Jisung bites his lip and nods, standing up and brushing the dirt off his knees. Something sits heavy in his chest as he picks his way out of the gardens, the speed of his steps picking up as he clears the area where he might mess something up in. He spots the three wolves just near the entrance pretty soon, but not before they spot him. Hyunjin is just a golden blur of fur before he barrels into him, licking over his face in greeting as Jisung laughs helplessly and tries to push him off with his human hands. He hears Minho give a muffled bark, and he leans up, blinking at the frankly enormous deer carried between Changbin and Minho's teeth. 

He gives them an impressed nod and can tell Changbin is silently preening like he always does no matter how many times the others rightfully praise his hunting skills, and they begin to drag the body to their food stores to prepare. Hyunjin shifts, laying his weight flat on top of Jisung, long hair falling in front of his face. 

“Good patrol?” Jisung asks, reaching up to tuck Hyunjin's hair behind his ear. The beta nods, briefly resting his head against his chest. 

“For once it wasn't boring, there was this weird scent and when we followed it- oh, I should probably tell Chan about it first, just in case.” 

Jisung digs his teeth into his bottom lip, gently pushing Hyunjin aside and sitting up. “Go do that, baby, I'll still be here.” 

Hyunjin gives him a quick peck and murmurs in affirmation, rolling off of him and heading towards the main cabin. 

Jisung sits there for a moment, staring around his home. He rubs his arms, feeling strangely cold. Near the entrance like this, he can see most of the activity going on, all the essential parts that make up their little lives here. 

Really, they would be nowhere without Chan and his push to bring them all together and stand on their own. And without Felix, who purely embodied what it meant to be a child of Earth, always happy to be a bedrock of support to all of them. Or Seungmin, who might not be interested in combat but honed his other essential skills using his Sun instincts in a more creative way than anyone else, giving him near unlimited potential and competence. There was no way they could stand without Minho, with his keen nose and expert defense. Changbin's better than anyone in this whole area at sniffing out migration patterns and the best way to catch food, and Hyunjin could run down anything under the sun. Not to mention the way Jeongin's abilities were growing day by day, showing a certain dynamic risk-taking instincts that balanced Chan's good caution in a supernaturally fitting way. 

The other packs always wondered at how their pack could run with so few members, but honestly, just the seven of them do more than everything essential on their own. 

Jisung stands at the end of the clearing, steps apart from it all, wondering where he fits in. He doesn't really do anything, does he? Sure, he can kind of fight, help out where he can, but... he's never essential, has nothing and no one that needs him like all of the others do. He knows all of his mates love, him, sure, but because of that they give him so much, allowance for everything he fucks up, just like today at the meeting when he opened his big fat mouth. What does he give them back?

There's a crawling sensation just under his skin, not going away as he rubs his arms and shifts his weight from side to side. He's felt like this before, and he knows he needs to run. Nowhere in particular, just away. 

Jisung shifts and glances behind him, sweeping his gaze over the camp for a moment in hesitation to see if anyone will catch his attention. Nothing but the cold wind swirling frost over his fur, so Jisung turns around and slips through the exit, picking up speed with every second. The cold nips at his paws and nose as he runs, weaving through the trees, nothing but the pounding of his feet and panting breaths around him. Even in the growing darkness, without a predetermined destination, his paws know where to lead him. 

He doesn't know how long it is before he trots to a stop, lungs pleasantly burning with the exertion. He blinks, looking up at the sky at the tiny snowflakes that have begun drifting down from the sky, landing in his silver fur. His eyes catch on the moon outlined in the dark sky, waning gibbous, the silvery glow softly lighting up the dark forest. Jisung pads forward, settling down on the edge of the short cliff. This place is more than familiar to him, this exact spot tread by his feet dozens of times, ever since he could barely pull himself up over the rocks without help. 

From this vantage point, he has the perfect view of the pond in the valley below, the clear water reflecting the moon's light in long iridescent ripples. Jisung lays his head on his crossed paws in front of him, watching the way the water dips as more snowflakes land on it and melt away. He can already feel some of the tension melt from his shoulders, not disappearing, just fading away as the thoughts drift away from his mind. The quiet stills something in his heart, the ripples of the pond mirroring the disturbances in the pool of his thoughts. 

Some indeterminate amount of time passes, but the snow has grown, little clumps settling into his fur. He doesn't mind, he's never really minded the cold. He thinks he's good, gathered enough energy to tamp down some of the stupid unjustified feelings bubbling up inside of him and go back to do what he needs to do. 

He's just about to suck it up and get back to camp when his ears prick up, feeling the new arrival in the air and through the ground before the sound hits him. The clean snow and light wind tamps down most scents, but Jisung can still tell who it is, turning his head to watch Minho trot up to his position, head cocked to the side, white powder dotting his deep black fur. Jisung flattens his ears against his head, caught a little off-guard, settling his head down onto his paws. 

Minho scoots over to sit over the edge in human form, legs swinging as he leans forward and stares out over the landscape. “Felix and I made dinner,” he says, simply letting the statement puff out with his breath visibly into the air between him, rubbing his arms through his thin leather shirt. Jisung looks at him, how red his nose already is, and sighs. Minho always dresses like it's summer even in the winter, always forgetting when he doesn't have the protection of a fur coat. 

He crawls into Minho's lap, covering him in wet fur before he shifts as well and they're pressed together, sharing body warmth. Minho hums and tugs him closer in his lap, winding his arms around his chest and resting his chin on his shoulder. “This brings back memories. How many times did I find you out in the cold like this when we were pups?” His tone is light, but Jisung knows what Minho worrying sounds like, confirmed in the tight grip the other has in the back of his shirt. 

“A lot,” Jisung says simply, closing his eyes for a moment as his body melts into Minho's grip. You can never be too cautious for the winter. Nature is unpredictable and does not pause for a moment, the revolving wheel of the seasons and environmental conditions pressing on. For wolf packs, each winter is a throw of dice on how well they'll get through it and how many of them will survive. 

Jisung doesn't remember much of the pack he was born in. He remembers trees whose leaves grew rusty red and fell, unlike the dark needles of here up north; he remembers flashes of the wolves that stared at the small silver pup that he was with confusion and indecision, he remembers their numbers growing fewer and fewer over the years of food scarcity. Eventually, their pack was only a few bedraggled wolves gratefully absorbed into the pack to the north taking over their territory, and suddenly there were so many more wolves around him, so many more eyes on him and judging him, the bite of cold against his fur and skin. 

Even with the new territory, food had been dreadfully scarce that winter. And with so many mouths to feed... Jisung was a runt, after all, already near adolescence with no signs of growth. If sacrifices had to be made for the sake of more wolves surviving the winter, he was an obvious choice. And maybe that decision wasn't bragged about, but the older wolves knew very well what they were doing when they took Jisung out on patrols much too young, only to get him distracted and slip away into the trees. 

He doesn't remember what happened the first time, closing off those memories of the pure confusion and terror that must have overtaken his tiny, shaking body, alone in the middle of the snowy woods. Who knows how he made his way back through the unfamiliar land to a place whose scents he didn't recognize yet, stumbling back to the camp and not yet picking up on the awkward angle to the reluctant care of the older wolves. 

He wised up by the fourth or fifth time it happened, but what could he do about it? He had been sticking to the few older wolves from his birth pack, the only adults he knew, every glance in the direction of the group of young wolves he saw tumbling and playing together only earning him strange looks and weak underdeveloped snarls. All he could do was drag himself back towards the camp and warmth and fire every time, fitting himself in small corners and avoiding the judgmental gazes of some of the elders watching him sneak scraps from the food stores. 

He doesn't know when the others took notice of him first, only that it was Changbin, Changbin who caught him disappearing into the shadows and stared at him with wide eyes, asking if he was alright, what his name was, the questions more than anyone had addressed him for in years. Suddenly, Jisung was getting forcefully, lovingly absorbed into the young wolves' friend groups, a bit overwhelmed but more than grateful. 

It was Hyunjin who snuck him the best food, Seungmin who stood up for him to everyone else in the pack, Jeongin who curled around his body to help him sleep through the cold, Minho's developing keen nose who sought him out every time he got left behind. They've done... so much for him. Too much. 

“Do you ever regret it?” Jisung asks, the sound quiet enough to nearly get whipped away in the wind as he hides his face in Minho's shoulder. 

Minho gently pulls him away from his shoulder, searching his face with a furrow in his brow. “Regret what?” 

Jisung swallows, avoiding eye contact. “I mean... all of you having to support me all the time. You having to come out here to drag me back over and over. Nevermind, I was just-”

“No, Jisung, what did you mean? Do I regret not leaving you out to die?” 

Oh, boy. Jisung tries to backpedal, the lid on his heart cracking open a little bit, but when he looks into Minho's intense eyes, his words keep dying in his throat. “I mean, no, it's just-- you know you were on the fast track to being the next pack alpha before I slowed you down. You all could have done so much, but you had to do so much for me... you're still doing so much for me.” He chances a glance at Minho's face, wincing a little at what he sees. He's not mad, but the naked hurt in the tightness is his lips is almost much worse. 

Jisung swallows, staring at the snowy rock under them. Minho laughs a little, but it's not a happy sound. “Pack alpha? When have I ever wanted to be anything like that, huh? Jisung...” 

Fuck, this is embarrassing, he can feel his bottom lip start to wobble and pulls it between his teeth instead, worrying it a little too hard. Minho sighs and gently taps his jaw to make him stop, holding his chin to make him look at him. “I- I can't word this right now. Jisung, you need to talk to us and especially Chan about feeling like this, you know we wouldn't judge you.” 

Jisung whines just a little bit, squirming his face away to hide it again. “But...” he knows he's acting petulant, but he's so desperately trying to push in all those stupid feelings starting to spill out of him, building up for god knows how long. 

“Jisung,” Minho says again, heartbreakingly soft and still a little sad, hands rubbing over his back. “We're not just your pack, we're your mates. Please, if something's bothering you you need to let us know. I love you. We all do.” 

The couple stray tears that escape him freeze on his cheeks immediately as Jisung squeezes his eyes shut. Minho is serious, he knows how much it takes out of the other to verbalize what he feels like that. “I know, I just...” 

Minho clutches his back, pressing his head against jisung's cheek. “Sung, come on. We should get back.” 

Jisung sighs, shoulders shuddering a little with the cold. He's dreading it, but he knows he'll have to face this sooner or later. “Okay,” he says softly, collecting his limbs and slowly dragging himself out of Minho's lap, sitting limply in the snow. 

Minho crawls forward and shifts, nuzzling his wet wolf nose against his cheek in reassurance. Jisung smiles faintly and pats the top of his head, shifting as well and shaking his shoulders, relieved at the warm covering of fur. Jisung fits his head under the soft ruff of Minho's neck to show him he's alright, inhaling each other's familiar scents for a moment before heading off on the route home. 

It's not quite dusk yet, but the sun has dipped far enough down the sky for there to be an overcast chill settled in the air, matching the tone of the quiet camp. The awareness of the tension crawls down Jisung's throat and wraps a heavy fist around his heart as the unbalanced feeling sweeps over him. Minho tilts his head at him, encouraging, nodding towards the large cabin. Jisung sighs and heads over, opening the door with his cold human hands to be hit with a rush of warm air from the fire inside. 

Chan is alone, a rare sight these days, gaze flying up at their entrance. There would be no way to fool him, not with his level of sun instincts, supernaturally aware of anything setting off the balance of the pack as a whole. “Everything fine out there?” he begins with, concerned gaze flicking between them, still considerate enough to give him an out. 

Minho brushes the remaining snow out of his human hair, one hand landing steady and warm alongside Jisung's back. “I think we need to talk a little bit.” 

Jisung swallows but nods, glancing up at Chan. He can smell his worry, he knows that this has been a stressful time for Chan in general without worrying about his pack not being totally united and behind his back. 

The leader looks at him for a moment, fingers twitching as if he wants to reach out and touch him, and then he does, just a simple curl of fingers around wrist. “Do you want to talk to just me, like this, or bring the others in?” 

Oh, is that a question. It's quieter with just the two alphas, sure, but a place he considers home will always be empty without the whole pack with him. He doesn't think he can bear seeing the expressions on their faces, though, he could barely handle Minho's. “Um... everyone? But not all in front you know?” 

Thankfully, Chan seems to get what he means, nodding. “I'll be right back.” 

Jisung sighs, shoulders slumping down. Minho gives him space to collect his thoughts, he's too good at knowing when to do that, just leaning against his shoulder so that he can smell his comforting scent of evergreen near. There are no chairs in the little house, only variously sized piles of animal furs to flop onto at any moment's notice. 

Even if he's nervous, when all of his other mates piling into the small space his heart only lifts higher, the more than physical bond between them all clicking into place. He can still pick up on the worry, though, light but tangy, not overwhelming but making its presence known nonetheless. Gods, why is he having such a hard time with this? He can't even count on both his hands the amount of times he's appreciated one of the others coming to him or all of them with something they were thinking or feeling, no matter how trivial. 

He smiles just a little at them, can't help it as he watches Hyunjin and Jeongin push each other for the best place in the center of one of the piles of fur, groaning as Changbin flops all over them. Felix smiles back at him, bright but private, a little pick-me-up just for him. These are the people he loves and trusts most in the entire world, the ones who've had his back through all the worst and best parts of his life so far. 

When he turns back to face Chan sitting in front of him, he can feel all of the pairs of eyes on his back, bolstering him. “What's wrong, sunshine?” Chan asks, and that's it, a major blow to Jisung's heart. He clears his throat and stares at the ground. Where can he start when even he didn't know he was feeling this much until now?

“Did the meeting earlier have something to do with this?” Chan continues, and damn, Jisung should never forget how perceptive their leader is. 

“I mean... kind of? I just... it's technically true, what he said about me.”

“What who said?” Seungmin interrupts. 

Chan's voice hardens, obviously not shaken of his protective instincts from earlier. “I was going to tell you all this evening, the new pack leader is Taesong. you remember him? Yeah, the usual shit. Except now he's going for Jisung too, about being unclaimed.” 

Jisung's glad he can't see the others now, because he doesn't think he wouldn't get derailed by their protectiveness that would only serve to make him feel more guilty. “I just...” he sighs. “What have I really done to be up on that platform with you, Chan? I mean, I am unclaimed. You and Jeongin are the perfect example of Sun's own, and honestly, so are Minho and Seungmin. And everyone knows that Hyunjin are Felix are some of the best betas in the north.”

He swallows, voice quieting, the words coming out surprising even him. “And I don't think I ever will be claimed, either. There's nothing about me that would attract any of the gods. Maybe I'm meant to stay this way and keep dragging you down.”

“And what about me?” Changbin cuts in, firm but not angry, always-warm hands finding their way along Jisung's arms. “I know what he probably said about me, I used to hear it all the time. Do you think that was true too? Am I less of Moon's own because I don't want to carry children?” 

“Gods, no, Changbin- “ Jisung can't help but turn to look, hand cupping Changbin's cheek as he stares into his silver-tinted eyes. It seems absolutely laughable to even imply anything of the sort when Changbin is closer to the Moon themself than anyone else in the entire north region, when he is always there for all of them with a steady voice and touch and careful transfer of positive emotions unconditionally, whenever they need it. Jisung's never met a better omega. 

Changbin smiles softly at him, gazing at him with all the fondness he usually keeps tamped down. “You know I could have implored Moon to convince the other gods to make me a beta or even an alpha instead. But I didn't, because I had all of you. You're more important than the opinions of wolves we know are cruel.” He sighs, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight. “I'm not trying to say you can't feel this way. Just that we have your back, we love you as you are, not because of what you could be or what you're 'supposed' to be.”

There's a ripple of assent from all others, and Changbin's not using his powers, Jisung can tell, but the effect is there nonetheless, the heavy love and adoration hanging in the air seeping into his skin and almost getting through. His eyes are wetter than anything negative words could ever do to him, the feeling of some of the crushing emotion in his heart draining away intense in the most necessary way. 

“Jisung. You really don't think you wouldn't be an amazing asset to any of the gods?” Felix says, almost offended, and now that he's turned around it might be a mistake because Jisung can see all of them now, overwhelming in the best and worst way. 

There's nothing he can really say to that, but his silence speaks more than his voice ever could. “You...” Felix continues. “Jisung, you know I've met a lot of children of Earth. Believe me, you would be better than some of them already as you are. You have a respect for the earth that I rarely see in wolves. You can't feel it, but it sings for you when you help me out. You would be perfect.”

“And you'd probably make a better alpha than that shoddy new pack leader, anyway.” Seungmin adds. “You know I know all about what makes a 'good' alpha. You bring us together in a way that's hard to do, you know. You're up on the rock in meetings for a reason, believe me. I could never make the decisions you do so fast, and they're always perfect. Sun doesn't deserve you.” 

Changbin's hands are a warm, steadying presence against him, channeling the sentiments of all. “And I know for a fact Moon would be happy to have someone like you. You have incredible intuition, and you know nobody in this pack would have made it this far without you, right? You keep us together, Jisung.” 

“Don't you see?” Hyunjin says, quiet and still for once, unusually serious for them. “You're everything. In fact, I bet you're unclaimed because the gods are fighting over who gets to claim you.”

Jisung rolls his eyes and huffs, sniffling, laying his head in the crook of Changbin's neck. He doesn't even know what to say, he feels like the emotions have been drained out of him for at least the rest of the week. Another hand slides over the back of his neck from behind, comforting and heavy. “Jisung,” Chan says, and he thinks he's heard his own name way too much this evening. “Listen, even if you stayed unclaimed forever, what makes you think that would change anything? Even if you can't see it right now, you do so much for us every day. I'm sorry if I've been negligent recently-” 

Jisung raises his head to deny that but Chan shushes him gently. “No, no, I know I've been including you less and I'm sorry, I should have made sure you were okay with it. Remember, yes, we're a pack. But you're also our mate, and we love you regardless of what you can do, okay? We would love you anyway, because you light up the world anywhere you go, you unconditionally support us expecting nothing in return-- you're amazing, sunshine.” 

By now he's cupping both of his cheeks, wide eyes staring right into his glistening wet ones. All Jisung can do is nod mutely and try not to break out into sobs, but then he feels more bodies press in closer around him, the warm weight of the loves of his life all around him the last straw. He buries his head in Changbin's chest in front of him and clutches at the others' hands, letting go of everything for the first time in who knows how long after a whole lifetime of learning how to settle with his situation. 

They simply hold him until the tears run dry, and he weakly raises his head, instinctively nosing forward into someone's neck by his side- Seungmin's, by the scent of crisp rainwater. He rubs his face into his warm skin, covering himself in the reassuring scent before pulling back and whining for another. Felix chuckles from above him and leans down to give him a soft, lingering kiss before indulging him and rubbing against him, all of his mates following suit and peppering kisses across his cheeks and lips until Jisung can't help but giggle, the sun rising inside of him and shining out through his smile. 

Minho goes last, pressing a long, desperate kiss to his now slightly puffy lips and searching his eyes. “Let's go eat now, love.” 

Felix's cooking is absolutely superb as always, supported by the little rows of herbs he cultivates from scavenged seeds just for this. His mates feed him the best pieces like they're courting again, less messily than it had been back then with all of them trying to vie for all of their attention at the same time. Jisung licks the flavor from his lips and sits in between the warmth of all his pack pressed against him and the fire crackling in front, everything about this screaming home and comfort. 

He's exhausted already, relaxing fully into Jeongin's solid chest behind him, completely comfortable. The younger alpha tilts his head over him, fingers idly rubbing over his jaw, face oddly still. He squeezes his hand softly, and Jisung takes it for the silent comfort it is. It must be hard for Jeongin to know what to say, considering that he's the only other one of them that went nearly into adulthood while being unclaimed, but different because he always knew exactly where he wanted his place to be. Jisung sighs and snuggles farther back into him, full of good food and love like any wolf should be. 

And that carries over, of course, to when they're all curled up for the night in a pile in the biggest pile of furs, at least two people's legs slung over his body, someone drooling onto his chest, Chan's obnoxious snoring right in his eyes. There's nowhere else he belongs on earth other than here, his home no matter where the universe decides to takes them. Jisung closes his eyes, confident that whatever happens, they'll make it work. 

***

Jisung is woken up harsher than usual the next morning, multiple pairs of hands shaking him. “Mm... what's wrong?” he slurs, raising his head a little and blinking at his mates sitting around him, staring with wide eyes at his... forehead? “What?” he asks again, already more awake and a little worried, though it doesn't seem to be anything negative based on their awestruck expressions. 

“Just look, baby,” Felix says, turning around to rummage through their miscellaneous equipment near the walls before he pulls out one of the mirrors that Seungmin made out of the flattest, most reflective pieces of perfect obsidian he could find. Jisung furrows his brown, grabbing it and taking one look before it clatters to the ground. 

He scrambles to pick it up again and just stares at it, tilting his head back and forth to make sure it's not just a trick of the light. The second he moves his brown eyes reflect bright silver, but that's not the biggest thing. There's light emitting from the silver markings running along his forehead and down to his neck glowing in the dim room, brighter than he's ever seen on anybody. 

He doesn't know what to say, sitting there and gradually looking up to meet the equally incredulous eyes of the others. Changbin breaks the silence first, clapping him on the back. “Gods, finally I'm not alone. It's exhausting being the only omega, you know.”

Jisung swallows before he laughs, light and breathy at first, before he tackles him in a hug. “Oh my gods,” is all he can say, feeling like he's been punched in the chest. “I'll be happy to help.” 

He knows the greater ramifications will set in later, but right now, Jisung is just going to let his pack spoil him for the whole day and stop thinking too much for at least a little while. And his mates will always be there to remind him that he deserves it.

**Author's Note:**

> sorry if the setting was confusing in this its just my little brainchild i wanted to get out... i have soo many potential ideas for this series but if youve read my fics before you probably know how bad i am at getting to sequels in a timely fashion!! but i'll be thinking about it constantly 
> 
> follow me on my [main twt](http://twitter.com/orca_mandaeru) or [fic links twt](http://twitter.com/mysticetic) if you want and ty for giving this a read!!


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